Love a Parade? L.A. Has Plenty to Offer Today

Santa’s helpers will be parading him all over town today.

And he’ll be watched by up to a million and a half people who will have their choice of holiday parades in Hollywood, East Los Angeles and Pasadena to signal the march into the Christmas season.

The Hollywood Christmas Parade is expected to draw up to 1 million spectators. It will take place from 6-8 p.m. and include more than 100 celebrities, 20 floats, 15 bands, a dozen silver-saddled equestrian units and one Santa on a 40-foot sleigh float.

The East Los Angeles Christmas Parade is scheduled to take place from 1-3 p.m. It is expected to attract a crowd of up to 250,000 with its 30 celebrities, 20 bands, 18 floats, two grand marshals and one Santa riding atop a supermarket float.

The Doo Dah Parade, a spoof of the annual Rose Parade, will begin at noon. The loosely organized event will include 1,500 marchers in such tongue-in-cheek entries as briefcase--and chain saw--drill teams and an unknown number of Santas who could show up on anything from bicycles to roller skates.

Authorities said parade-goers should plan on arriving early to find parking.

The 58th annual Hollywood parade will start on Sunset Boulevard at Van Ness Avenue and travel west to Highland Avenue, where it will turn north. At Hollywood Boulevard, it will travel east to about the Hollywood Freeway.

Its grand marshal will be Sammy Davis Jr., and participants will include pop singer Tiffany, actor Sam Elliott and the Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles, said Linda Sauers of the sponsoring Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The parade will be televised live on KTLA, Channel 5.

The 15th annual East Los Angeles parade will start at Eastern Avenue and travel east on Whittier Boulevard before turning north on Atlantic Boulevard. It ends at 6th Street.

Its grand marshals will be actors Catherine Bach and Eddie Albert Jr. The parade will be telecast live on KMEX, Channel 34, said parade coordinator Art Marquez. The parade is being sponsored by the Whittier Boulevard Merchants Assn. and the East Los Angeles Jaycees.

The “14th Occasional Doo Dah Parade” will start at noon at Fair Oaks Avenue and Union Street and will travel north on Fair Oaks, east on Holly Street, south on Raymond Avenue, west on Colorado Boulevard, south on Pasadena Avenue, east on Green Street and south on Fair Oaks to Central Park, said coordinator Peter Apanel.